HIGH levels of demand for UK staycations are set to continue next year - with one delighted Dorset holiday provider experiencing a 70 per cent increase in bookings compared to pre-pandemic levels.

As a result of travel restrictions many people opted to ditch their trip abroad this summer for a holiday closer to home.

Now it seems some people who discovered a UK break for the first time, or perhaps missed out this year, are choosing to stick with one for 2022.

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“This year has been one of our busiest to date and this high level of demand is being seen ahead of the 2022 season, with a 70 per cent increase in the amount of people who have already booked a staycation in 2022 against the same time in 2019,” a spokesperson for Haven Holidays said.

“We have always had holidaymakers who return to Haven year after year and in fact 50 percent of our guests do holiday with us again, but we have also noticed that we have had a 41% increase in new guests who have replaced their holiday abroad with a UK staycation at Haven.”

The holiday provider operates three Weymouth sites - Littlesea, Weymouth Bay and Seaview - which are experiencing strong demand for next year already.

Fellow holiday park operator ParkDean, which runs the Sandford, Warmwell and West Bay sites, are also experiencing strong interest, but that is no different than usual for them.

A spokesperson for the company said: “Our three holiday parks in Dorset are among our best-loved resorts in the country, and families have enjoyed a well-deserved staycation in the area this year, providing a much-needed boost to the local economy.

“We’re always fully booked for the holiday season, and this year has been no different.

“Despite the increased demand, we can only ever be at 100% capacity, so anybody wanting to stay at Sandford, Warmwell or West Bay should book early to avoid disappointment as we don’t see appetite for the staycation waning at all.”

Haven confirmed they have ‘continued to see a huge rise in people wanting to holiday in the UK,’ with that trend carrying over from the 2021 season to the following summer.

Both holiday providers said anyone who is interested in booking a holiday in Dorset next year should book early to avoid any potential disappointment.